KINGSTOWN (Saint Vincent): Afghanistan pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the T20 World Cup, taming Australia by 21 runs in the Super Eight stage at the Arnos Vale Ground to set the Group 1 wide open.
In what turned out to be a stunning performance from Afghanistan bowlers, Australia were bowled out for 127, chasing a relatively easy 149-run winning target. Medium pacers Gulbadin Naib (4-20) and Naveenul Haq (3-20) combined to make going tough for Australia batsmen on a tricky low-bounced track.
Both the pacers struck on crucial times with Gulbadin removing dangerous Glenn Maxwell (59) to take a stranglehold on the match. He also removed Marcus Stoinis (11), Tim David (2) and Pat Cummins (3) to set up the victory. He was later declared Man of the Match.
Once Naveenul Haq ran through Travis Head’s (0), defenses at the outset of the innings, Australian batsmen were seen struggling in the middle. For a brief period, Maxwell threatened to spoil Afghanistan’s party by playing some powerful shots including three sixes and six fours. Once Noor Ahmad snapped him of Naib, Australia went back into their shells.
All the efforts by Stoinis, David and Cummins to drag the Australian score closer to the target went fruitless as none stayed at the crease long enough to threaten the winning target.
Australia won the toss
Afghanistan Innings
Gurbaz c Warner b Stoinis 60
Zadran c Marsh b Zampa 51
Omarzai b Zampa 2
Janat c David b Cummins 13
Khan (c) c David b Cummins 2
Nabi not out 10
Naib c Maxwell b Cummins 0
Kharote not out 1
Extras: (b 4, lb 1, w 4) 9
Total: 20 Ov (RR: 7.40) 148/6
Fall of wickets: 1-118, 2-121, 3-122, 4-126, 5-141, 6-141
Bowling: Ashton Agar 4-1-17-0, Josh Hazlewood 4-0-39-0, Pat Cummins 4-0-28-3, Adam Zampa 4-0-28-2, Glenn Maxwell 2-0-12-0, Marcus Stoinis 2-0-19-1
Australia Innings
Head b Naveen-ul-Haq 0
Warner c Ahmad b Nabi 3
Marsh (c) c Nabi b Naveen 12
Maxwell c Noor b Gulbadin 59
Stoinis c Rahmanullah b Gulbadin 11
David lbw b Gulbadin 2
Wade c Janat b Rashid 5
Cummins b Gulbadin Naib 3
Agar c Gulbadin b Naveen 2
Zampa c Nabi b Azmatullah 9
Hazlewood not out 5
Extras: (b 2, lb 6, nb 1, w 7) 16
Total: 19.2 Ov (RR: 6.56) 127
Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-16, 3-32, 4-71, 5-85, 6-106, 7-108, 8-111, 9-113, 10-127
Bowling: Naveen-ul-Haq 4-0-20-3, Fazalhaq Farooqi 3-0-21-0, Azmatullah Omarzai 1.2-0-10-1, Mohammad Nabi 1-0-1-1, Nangeyalia Kharote 1-0-13-0, Rashid Khan 4-0-23-1, Noor Ahmad 1-0-11-0, Gulbadin Naib 4-0-20-4
Result: Afghanistan won by 21 runs
Player of the match: Gulbadin Naib
Umpires: Ahsan Raza, Kumar Dharmasena
